Southeast Arizona Bird Guide, Birding Tours SE AZ: Welcome to Fun Birding Tours in AZ with Richard Fray » guiding

Patagonia, Miller & Ash Canyons

Richard — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 06:24:34 +0000

We stopped just along the road and found the MAIN flock! It was staggering; I've NEVER seen anything like it, anywhere. We flagged down a few more birders and all stood in awe as somewhere between 200 and 300 birds, almost all of them warblers, streamed downhill away from the snow. We only got binoculars on a fraction of the flock but we picked out nine warbler [...]

Patagonia, Madera Canyon

Richard — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:39:59 +0000

Last day of the tour.

Ramsey Canyon, San Pedro House

Richard — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:09:13 +0000

The highlight was the continuing male GREEN KINGFISHER which I heard calling from my position a little way from the river. After I shouted it out, Roger and Joe both saw it as it dashed upstream level with the Kingfisher [...]

Ramsey Canyon, Fort Huachuca, Miller & Ash Canyon

Richard — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:15:47 +0000

In Fort Huachuca there were plenty of Buff-breasted Flycatchers at Sawmill Canyon along with several Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Hepatic Tanagers and a Grace's Warbler. Ash Canyon B&B was lively, with a superb male Lucifer [...]

Las Cienegas, Elgin, Ramsey Canyon

Richard — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:13:00 +0000

The drive through Elgin produced a couple of Western Kingbirds, finally, to accompany the many Cassin's. Horned Larks were singing by the roadside and I was surprised to find an ever bigger herd of Pronghorn Antelopes, 18 this time. Quite a good day for antelopes... [...]

Sweetwater Wetlands, Mt. Lemmon

Richard — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:12:37 +0000

I met with Joe, Becky, Roger and Mary-Louise from South Carolina for the start of a five day tour of some of Arizona's top birding spots. We birded Sweetwater Wetlands to get the list off to a good start. As is always the case at Sweetwater, it was buzzing with wildlife [...]

Elgin, Paton’s, Patagonia Lake

Richard — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:20:10 +0000

The hummingbird feeders were buzzing, with a splendid male MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD, plus BROAD-BILLED, ANNA'S, BLACK-CHINNED, VIOLET-CROWNED and two male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. A female HOODED ORIOLE and 1st-summer male BULLOCK'S ORIOLE visited the grape jelly and a few LAZULI BUNTINGS added to the eye candy. GRAY HAWKS called from seemingly all [...]

Great Horned Owls

Richard — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:22:11 +0000

We were treated to memorable views of a pair of Great Horned Owls. Obviously feeding young, both birds were out before it was fully dark. One dived into the desert undergrowth with an audible thud, but came up empty. Later, one flew across the road right in front of us, carrying prey to their nest. Very [...]

Birding with Jon Dunn

Richard — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:03:13 +0000

Jon is one of the most respected birders in North America and chief consultant and author of much of the National Geographic field guide series. He's also a super-nice man! He signed field guides for everyone (I took two - thanks Jon!) and he really showed his class as a birder and educator as he lead the huge group that turned out to meet [...]

Gilbert Water Ranch, Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Richard — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:23:06 +0000

I met Neill and Karen again, today at Gilbert Water Ranch in Phoenix, where we spent a pleasant morning with the great variety of birds to be found around the ponds.

We started by studying contrasting birds – roosting Turkey Vultures and busy Anna’s Hummingbirds. Pond 7 was the place to be, with Great and Snowy Egrets, [...]